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Tactical Surface Fighter
Senjutsuki (戦術機, "tactical fighter"), or Senjutsuhokousentouki (戦術歩行戦闘機, "tactical walking fighter aircraft"), are large bipedal robots used as weapons to combat aliens known as the BETA in the Muv-Luv Unlimited and Muv-Luv Alternative visual novel games, as well as their spinoff/side-story works. The official translation of the name is "Tactical Surface Fighter". However, this terminology was never used in the games as they are mostly set in Japan and therefore use Japanese terminology, and was first seen nine months following Alternative's release in promotional materials for Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. That said, Senjutuski should be read as TSF due to it being as close to an acronym as Japanese gets. TSF action figures are currently produced by Volks (in their A3 =Advanced System of Action Arms= and Tactical Surface Fighter Model Collection lines) and Kaiyodo (in their Revoltech line). Model kits for these mecha are produced by Kotobukiya. History In the alternate timelines of Unlimited and Alternative, mankind has been at war with aliens since 1967, and TSFs have been employed since the early 1970's. Using preexisting mobile space walkers as a design basis, TSFs were developed as an adaptable and versatile weapon to counter the BETA threat, and have become essential to humanity's survival over the 30-year war. Some reasons for the development of the TSF stands as such; due to the unerring accuracy and offensive power of the Laser-class BETA, TSFs were developed as surface-to-air all purpose assault craft to circumvent BETA air superiority. The frame of a TSF also allows it to perform well inside the enclosed spaces of a BETA Hive if required, using their humanoid form to navigate the tunnels without being constrained to any one dimension of combat. Early TSFs were envisioned as mobile tanks, and were sent into battle with heavy armaments and armor plating while operated by retrained former military airplane pilots. The results were disastrous; the BETA easily targeted and destroyed these early TSFs and their sheer power bypassed any amount of armor. Pilots struggled with the conceptual differences between piloting an airplane and a TSF, to the point that it was deemed that TSF training be taught to officers early in their careers to improve and advance TSF combat doctrines. The average survival time for pilots of these 1st-generation TSFs were 8 minutes, and surviving the "Eight Minutes of Death" has become a rite of passage among modern Eishi. Later models emphasized a focus on agility and manuverability, as the numbers and offensive strength of the BETA assured that pilots fared much better by avoiding attacks rather than withstanding them. Such later craft resemble modern fighter planes ("sentouki") in performance, rather than tanks. The continued development of high-maneuverability, high-mobility TSFs has shifted TSF design into its third generation, and most, if not all TSFs of this tier boast superior maneuverability and firepower depending on their design. The Type-94 Shiranui, the world's first third-generation TSF, remains a high-performance unit nearly a decade after its introduction, and late-third-generation units like the Type-00 Takemikazuchi series focuses on overwhelming close-combat advantages, while the F-22A Raptor uses stealth and superior mobility to not only outmaneuver BETA, but human and TSF opponents as well. Most if not all of the American, Soviet and European TSFs are based on real-life fighter jets (e.g.- F-22A being built by "Lockweed Mardin"). As the military aerial industry is near-obsolete in the Unlimited/Alternative universe, having mostly shifted to TSF production, it can be probably assumed that the people responsible for the real world's various fighter jets would also be responsible for the design/manufacture of TSFs in Muv-Luv Unlimited/Alternative. As TSF tactics and technology were developed cooperatively across the world, they share a similar aircraft derived unit organization pattern in most armed forces. Japanese Tactical Surface Fighters Varying from the mudane to the highly ornate, most Japanese TSFs focus on high-speed rushing, close-combat tactics and mobility borne out of a need to fight in crowded Hive conditions to cleanse Japan of the BETA, as well as strengthened joint systems to overcome the issue of uneven and rough terrain of the Japanese mainland. With improvements in TSF technology, Japanese TSFs have become more maneuverable, with some bearing weaponized armor and/or parts for greater combat potential against the BETA; most TSFs have limiters installed, however, to improve joint and frame durability and uptime during combat. * Type-77/F-4J Gekishin *Type-81/A-6J Wadatsumi *Type-82/F-4J Kai Zuikaku *Type-89/F-15J Kagerou *Type-94 Shiranui *Type-97 Fubuki *Type-00 Takemikazuchi *Test Type-02/F-15SEJ Gekkou *Type-04/XFJ-01 Shiranui Second American Tactical Surface Fighters Being the nation that led the development on TSF development and production, American TSFs are highly advanced and efficient at range, using their powerful armaments to keep the BETA out of reach. Several TSFs are also the bearers of pioneer technologies and weapons that would later become standard equipment on future variants. * F-4 Phantom *F-5 Freedom Fighter *F-11 Tiger *F-14 Tomcat *F-15 Eagle *F-16 Fighting Falcon *F-18 Hornet *F-22A Raptor *YF-23 Black Widow II *F-35 Lightning II *A-6 Intruder *A-10 Thunderbolt II *A-12 Avenger *X-29 European Tactical Surface Fighters Like the Japanese, the Europeans have had the problems of having to counter the BETA on their own ground, and have gradually developed TSFs that have various methods of countering close-contact combat with the BETA. Their TSFs focus on two fighting methods; one is supression of enemy forces with heavy firepower, and the other is high mobility for a highly-adaptable force. With the two methods becoming one as European TSF technology continues to mature, modern European TSFs are highly mobile fighters with the capability to direct light-load, high-firepower wherever they go. * F-5F Mirage III *F-5E/G/I Tornado *F-5E ADV Tornado *Mirage 2000 *EF-2000 Typhoon *Rafale *J-35 Draken *JA-37 Viggen *JAS-39 Gripen Soviet Tactical Surface Fighters Similar to Japanese and European TSFs, Soviet fighters have a distinct close-combat-oriented design for combat conditions in a BETA Hive with high-speed deployment and usage of melee capabilities via arming their TSFs with built-in melee armaments and well-placed reactive armor plates, as well as high-mobility capabilities to multiply their effectiveness in the crowded conditions of a BETA-dominated battlefield. *F-4R Phantom *MiG-21 Balalaika *MiG-23 Cheburashka *MiG-25 Spirt-Voz *MiG-27 Aligatori *MiG-29 Lastochka *MiG-31 Plamya-Lisa *Project 1.42/1.44 *Su-11 *Su-15 *Su-27 Zhuravlik *Su-37 Terminator *Su-47 Berkut Chinese Tactical Surface Fighters Focusing on high-mobility tactics like those of Soviet/European/Japanese machines, TSFs of the Chinese United Front emphasise mobility and speed over other aspects. Chinese TSFs have adopted a rounded-head sensor module to feature wider sight range, as well as improve performance and provide redundancy for optics failure during high-intensity combat. *J-8 *J-10 *J-11 (Su-27C) *J-20 Israeli Tactical Surface Fighters *F-5F Kfir *Lavi Armaments Battle-tested and proven in combat over nearly thirty years, most TSFs use weapons that operate on similar principles to their human-wielded/vehicle-mounted counterparts, but differ in their manufacturing and operation. Humanity is also developing new weapons daily, seeking to even the playing field in any way possible. *Assault Cannon *Close Combat Dagger *Melee Halberd *Missile Container *Supplemental Armor *Fixed Armament *1200mm Over the Horizon CANNON *EML-99X Electromagnetic Induction Launcher *S-11 SD-SYSTEM Equipment Hardware improvements for TSFs. While not a permanent fixture, some of this equipment has over the years become an essential part of TSF combat doctrine. *Jump Unit **Jump Unit Engine List *Mount Pylon *Pilot Systems *Re-entry Shell *Supply Container Category:TSF Category:Hardware and Technology